Andrew Downer was a “jokester” with a soft spot for children and animals. A mechanic and avid collector of vintage marbles and glass, he initially moved to Paradise in 2000 along with his girlfriend of nearly three decades for the town’s antiques.

“Nothin’ but love” was his signature expression.

After a stint in Bangor, Downer and Iris Natividad returned to Paradise in 2015 when diabetes forced him to have his leg amputated.

Andrew Downer, 54, a victim of the Camp Fire, in an undated photo. (Photo<br />courtesy of Joseph Downer)

While in the hospital, he regaled doctors and nurses with his jokes.

Confined to a wheelchair, he was at home on Skyway waiting to be rescued when the flames approached. He was 54 when he died. One of his beloved dogs, Bear, survived the fire and is being treated for burns to his paws. The other, Bertha, remained with him to the end. His girlfriend was out of town that day.

Downer had no children of his own, but his six-month-old nephew is named after him.

“It’s not whatcha got, it’s a-what you give,” went his favorite song by the band Tesla. “It ain’t the life you choose, it’s the life you live.”

Friends and family gathered to celebrate his life on Dec. 9 at the Foodie Cafe in Chico, where he went every Tuesday, usually ordering a prime rib sandwich or a brownie.

His ashes will be spread on Patterson Pass in Livermore, where the ashes of his mother and brother were also scattered.

Kaitlyn Bartley is a data reporter for the Bay Area News Group. Previously, she covered the venture capital industry for Venture Capital Journal and local news for the Half Moon Bay Review. She is a Bay Area native and graduated from Stanford University's data journalism M.A. program.